Omar demands unconditional release for female terror suspect seized

Former Mombasa Senator Hassan Omar (left) and other family and friends of 48 year old Hamida Mubarak at the home of Hamida in Mombasa County on Saturday 21st October 2017. Family claims Hamida was forcefully taken by police officers on Friday night without any explanation. Photo/Kelvin Karani

family in Kibokoni, Mombasa County is in distress after anti-terror police arrested their kin on Friday night.

The whereabouts of Hamida Awadh Mubarak Bahamisi, 48, remained unknown as panic swept through Mombasa’s Old Town.

Former Mombasa Senator Hassan Omar is among those who demanded her immediate release.

He described Ms Awadh as “family” saying the arrest was a blatant strike “at the heart of our family.”

He referred to some of the people in the family as uncles and his mother’s friends.

Police sources told Sunday Standard that Ms Awadh was arrested and a passport and three cellphones taken from her.

The sources also indicated Ms Awadh has been under security surveillance for four months and is suspected to have crossed from Somalia through Kiunga in Lamu before entering Mombasa about five days ago.

Authorities yesterday remained cagey about the arrest.

However, Coast Regional Commander Larry Kieng confirmed that an arrest of a terror suspect was conducted in Kibokoni and investigations were ongoing but declined to give details.

“I can confirm there was an arrest. Investigations are on course,” said Kieng who added that the detention and investigation involves “terror activities.” And a highly placed source within the National Intelligence Service (NIS) disclosed that Ms Awadh has lived in Somalia’s Ras Kamboni for some time and had been in touch with a female terror suspect whose mutilated corpse was found dumped in Naivasha early this year.

OLD LADY

“This is actually family. This raid is at the heart of our family,” Omar said and demanded her release.

“It is important that this person is released immediately unconditionally without further ado,” Omar demanded yesterday adding that the arrest was committed by anti-terror police “on a very old lady” and had sparked “panic throughout the entire neighbourhood.”

The former Senator told journalists that government officials he has contacted characterised the arrest as a “terrorism police related arrest” and described the raid as a travesty that had left him and Hamida’s relatives frustrated and helpless.

Family members said some 30 officers stormed their house at around 11.45pm and took away Ms Awadh to unknown destination.

They narrated how the officers forced them to open every corner of the house while holding guns to their heads and demanded their IDs and passports.